Indicator for bottles.



PATENTEDZDEG. v24, 1907.

J. COLLINS.

INDICATOR POR BOTTLES.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 6, 1907.

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TH: Nouk!! PETERS c WITNESSES:

JOSEPH COLLINS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INDICATOR FOR BOTTLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1907.

Application filed April 6. 1907. Serial No. 366,683.

To all whom it 'may concern.'

Be it known that l, JosErI-r OoLLiNs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the county, city, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in lndicators for Bottles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bottles or original packages for containing fluids of a superior quality and for dispensing or discharging the same upon being tilted or inverted.

The object of the invention is to provide an indicator or tell-tale device which will indicate that part of the original contents of the bottle or package has been poured out.

A further object is to provide an indicator which will indicate the proportionate part of the original contents poured out and also that all the original contents has been-poured out.

A general object of the invention de# scribed is to prevent the re-filling of the bottle or package with substitute goods without this fact being readily detected, thus preventing the fraudulent vending of inferior or substitute goods from the trademarked original package intended for the superiorgoods.

Another object of the invention is to pro# vide an indicator device for bottles relying upon the transfer ofra fluid substance from one transparent chamber to another due to the action of gravity.

y Further objects are to provide cheap, efficient and secure means for forming the indicator device and combining the same with a bottle or package of ordinary type.

lThis and other objects of the invention will also be apparent from the following description read in connection with the drawings and also particularized in the claims.

A preferred form'of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification and in which gy Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a bottle combined with the indicator, and showing the indicator in elevation; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of a preferred form of the indicator; Fig'. 3 is a sectional plan showing a modification of the indicator.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings ,-1 designates the indicator formed of transparent material preferably glass which may be blown to form in a wellknown manner. The indicator l is secured to the bottle 2 preferably on the inside and at the base of the neck, as shown, by means of a spider 3, which latter may be molded about and sealed to the throat 4 of the indicator l and then sealed to the bottle neck in any approved manner, such as by fusion or by cementing. A

The throat 4 forms a passage between two chambers, an upper chamber 5 and a lower chamber 6, which are preferably globular, as shown, and together with the throat 4 form a hermetically sealed inclosure. The lower chamber 6 contains some suitable fluid substance 7 having a distinctive color different from that of the contents of the bottle 2. This fluid substance is preferably line sand, such as is commonly used in hour glasses, although other substances would be suitable, among which are many liquids.

The throat 4 is choked or restricted adjacent to the chamber 6 so as to form a seat 8 and an opening 9 of predetermined size. A valve device 10, preferably in the form of a ball, has a 'movement along the throat 4 between the seat 8, upon which it normally rests to complete a one way valve device, and the stop l1, which may be secured to the in* terior of the throat 4. As shown, the stop 11 may be a rod extending centrally across the throat 4. The throat 4 may be flat-sided, as shown in Figs. l and 2, or it may be round sided and provided with interior grooves or channels 12, as shown in Fig. 8. If it is flatsided, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, there is a channel at each edge or corner which would correspond with the similar channels shown in Fig. 3. Thus, in either case, there would be a plurality of channels about the ball 10 to permit the unobstructed flow of the fluid substance 7 past the ball 10 from chamber 6 into the chamber 5 when the indicator 1 has been inverted as it necessarily is when pouring out the contents of the bottle 2. These specially provided channels or passages l2 are preferably used so as to insure a regular flow of the fluid substance 7, although the device' would be operative without them if the opening through the throat 4 were larger than the valve device or ball 10.

The bottle 2 combined with the indicator 1, as indicated in Fig. 1, may be filled with 1iq. uid or other fluid contents in the usual way and then 'may be closed with an ordinary cork or stopper. I-lowever, when the cork is removed and the fluid contents is poured out of the bottle by inverting the same, the valve device l() falls away from its seat 8 and the colored fluid substance 7 falls in a regular stream commensurately with the out flow of liquid from the bottle and is transmitted into the chamber 5, which is now lower most instead of chamber 6, as is normally the case. When the bottle 2 is rightedJ after the desired quantity of its contents has been poured out; the ball 1Q falls back onto its seat 8 and checks all return flow of the colored fluid substance 7 from the chamber 5 back into chamber 6. Thus the amount of fluid substance 7 above the ball 1() will be an indicating measure of the proportionate part of the fluid contents of the bottle 2 which has been poured out. Thus, as a corollary7 when all the fluid substance 7 has beentransferred from chamber 6 into chamber 5 and is visible above the valve or ball 10 there is a clear indication that all the original contents of the bottle has been poured out. The kind of substance employed and designated by the numeral 7 as well as the size of the opening 9 are proportioned so that the contents of the bottle 2 and the fluid substance 7 will flow commensurately. g

It is to be understood that the bottle 2 or at least that portion thereof which is adjacent to the indicator l should be transparent so that the indicator will be visible through its walls. Furthermore, it should be understood that many modifications of detail and of the precise structure shown are within the scope of' this invention. This is especially true as to the location of the indicator l and the s ecific form of the valve device 10 and the t oat 4.

The passage through the throat 4 may be modified from that shown in the drawings and may be formed so as toinsure the proper flow of the fluid substance 7.. This may be accomplished in any suitable manner within the scope-and spirit of this invention.

What is claimed and what is desired tobe secured by Letters Patent is 1. An indicator device for bottles comprising means for indicating the approximate ratio of the amountv of-fl'uid poured out ofthe bottle-to the original contents of the bot-tle.

2. An indicator device for bottlesv comprising two communicating chambers; a fluid subst-ance in one of saidV chambers adapted to be gradually transferred into the second chamber; and means to prevent the return of said fluid into the first chamber.

3.. In combination with a bottle, an indicator device comprising two communicating chambers; and a fluid substance in one of said chambers adapted to be transferred into the second chamber commensurately with the out flow of the liquid contents of saidy bottle. n 4. In combination with a bottle, lan indicator device comprising two communicating chambers; and a fluid substance in one of said chambers adapted to be transferred into the second chamber commensurately with the out flow of the liquid contents of said bottle7 and means to prevent the return of the transferred fluid into said first chamber.

5. In combination With a bottle, an indicator device comprising two communicating chambers; and a fluid substance in one of said chambers adapted to be transferred into the second chamber commensurately with the out flow of the liquid contents of said bottle, and a one way valve to prevent the return of the transferred liquid into said first chamber.

6. An indicator device for bottles comprising two chambers; a throat connecting said chambers and forming a passage therebetween; a fluid substance in one of said chambers; a check valve in said throat which permits an out flow of. the fluid substance from said chamber into the second chamber but prevents a return flow of said fluid substance into said chamber.

7. In combination with a bottle, an indicator device for indicating the approximate amount of fluid contents poured out of said bottle; said device comprising a lower chamber and an upper chamber; a fluid substance normally contained within said lower chamber; a passage connecting said chambers; a valve permitting a transfer of the fluid contents of said lower chamber into said upper chamber and preventing a return flow thereof; and means for securing said indicator device to said bottle.

8. An indicator device for bottles comprising two transparent communicating chambers; a fluid substance in one of said chambers adapted to be gradually transferred into the second chamber; and means to prevent the return of said fluid substance into the first chamber.

9. In combination with a bottle, an indi- *cator device comprising two transparent communicating chambers; and a fluid substance-in one of said chambers adapted to be transferred into. the second chamber com- Vmensurately with the out flow ofthe liquid contents of said bottle.

10. In combinationwitha bottle, anindicator device comprising two transparent'communicating chambers; and a fluid substance in one of said chambers adapted to be trans-- ferred into the second chamber commensurately with the out flow of the liquid contents of said bottle, and means to prevent the return of the transferred fluid into saidl necting said chambers; a valvel device insaid throat; said throat providing a plurality of passage-Ways about said valve device for the unobstructed HOW of said fluid substance.

12. An indicator device for bottles comprising a hermetically closed hollow transparent member; said member comprising tWo communicating chambers; a fluid substance normally contained Within one chamber; said iuid substance being capable of being transferred from one chamber to the other in correspondence With the out loW of the fluid contents of a bottle.

13. In combination a bottle and an indicator device; said indicator device'comprising tWo transparent chambers; one of said chambers containing a fluid substance and being provided With a restricted opening forming a seat for a gravity actuated valve device; a throat connecting said chambers and containing said valve device Which is movable therein; a stop Within said throat JOSEPH COLLINS.

Witnesses:

LEONARD DAY, IDA Gr. GILMoRE. 

